Recently, The Robe (aka Rollum Haas) guest hosted the WXNA radio show “Whistle In” (hosted by New Man‘s own Cody Newman). Over the course of an hour, Rollum shared a wide variety of songs worth hearing. You know, like what you’d want to hear on the radio?

The broadcast is archived here, enjoy at your leisure!

Tracks:

Lio – “Sage comme une image”
Takeo Watanabe – “Countdown”
Yushi Matsuyama – “Sassotaru Char”
Duran Duran – “Friends of Mine”
Prince & The Revolution – “I Wonder U”
Henry Badowski – “My Face”
New Musik – “This World of Water”
A.R. Kane – “Miles Apart”
The Lotus Eaters – “Out On Your Own”
Robert Görl – “Mit Dir (Extended)”
Erik Satie, Pascal Rogé – “Sports et divertissements”
The Robe – “It’s So Easy”
Nubuo Uematsu – “Dear to the Heart”
Franco Battiato – “Summer on a solitary beach”
Pet Shop Boys – “Liberation”

Uncle Skeleton released his sixth full-length album, Golden Hour, back in December of 2021. There was always an intention of putting together an album visualizer that embraced slow sunset footage, as an augmentation to the themes of the record itself. Life got in the way and the visualizer was never complete… until now.

The original intent was to set the entire record to one sunset but when push came to shove, multiple sunsets was just more pleasing. Get this video up on your big screen and immerse yourself. It’s slow moving but that’s intentional to give you some proper headspace for reflection on whatever topic intrigues you.

The record is available on Bandcamp and streaming everywhere as well.

It’s been five years since the release of Patrick Damphier’s debut solo album, Say I’m Pretty. To celebrate, Patrick put together a playlist of songs from the record sprinkled together with songs by artists that he personally adores.

Listen to the Odd Man Out playlist on Spotify. If you would like it on a different streaming service, drop a comment.

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Back in 2019 when the record was originally released, there were a number of videos that went along with the record that are, absolutely, worth revisiting now.

All of these videos were shot by Joshua Shoemaker. The live performances both feature an all-star band behind Patrick, including Rollum Haas, Rodrigo Avendano, Charlie Shea, Todd Bolden and Molly Parden & Jessie Baylin where noted.

If you’ve not spent any time with Say I’m Pretty, there’s no better time than now. It’s available on Bandcamp and streaming everywhere else. Once you’ve fallen in love with that, you can also spend some time with the Say I’m Pretty Remixes. Treats all around you.

The last few days I’ve been driving across the country from Nashville to Los Angeles. During one of the particularly long hauls through the night I put on these two brand new tracks from The Robe, aka Rollum Haas. The air was intensely foggy; intensifying every road sign and neon light that passed. “It’s So Easy” unfurled its atmospheric tones and deep bass before snapping into the absolutely transfixing dance beat, guitar flourishes and mesmerizing vocal lines. “Never Tear Me Apart” relaxed the tempo with its spacey expanses and plea for sleep. Suffice to say, it was the perfect soundtrack for the occasion and required repeat listens. 

While these songs work remarkably well for a road trip, they also hit the same spot on the dance floor, in your headphones or around the house. The Robe’s sound continues to evolve, adding layers of instrumentation and detail that reward an attentive listen. 

These are pop songs that infuse life from compositions that only The Robe could bring to life. I can’t wait for you to hear them.. over and over.

Get them on Bandcamp. Stream them anywhere. Save and share. 

Back in 2020 he mixed the Black Bra record. He also did a great deal of work on the Stone Jack Jones record Black Snake, as well as the Jack Silverman EP, Now What. We eventually struck up a friendship and he informed me that he was finishing up his solo record, his very first.

Quite frankly I was dumbstruck. Moutenot has been making records for no less than forty years but never managed to put out his own work? I couldn’t believe it but I was beyond enthusiastic to get involved.

On that note, I am overjoyed to present Microcosm, the debut solo record from Roger Moutenot. It’s approximately 25-minutes of instrumental soundscapes across 10 different tracks; each with their own identity but working together to weave an immersive and, quite frankly, fascinating journey.

There’s no waiting around for this one. It’s available in full on Bandcamp and all streaming services right now. Go give it a listen and let yourself soak in it. Headphones are great. Playing it loud is great. Sitting and actively listening to it is optimal but it works as a soundtrack to driving around or people watching on a busy corner.

Microcosm is just a tiny glimpse into the world of Roger Moutenot. The door is now open and we all get a chance to step inside.

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Renowned Producer Roger Moutenot Debuts Solo Album: Microcosm

Nashville, TN – After decades of crafting sonic landscapes for renowned artists across genres, Roger Moutenot announces his debut solo album, Microcosm (yk Records, 2024). With a rich history in the recording industry, Moutenot’s musical journey unfolds through ten tracks that seamlessly weave together his vast experiences and newfound inspirations.

Moutenot’s engineering and production prowess spans the spectrum, touching on genres ranging from jazz to folk, rock to noise.While his credits include luminaries like Yo La Tengo, Sleater-Kinney, Lou Reed, and They Might Be Giants, his influence extends far beyond these iconic names.

In recent years, Moutenot explored composing film scores alongside longtime friends Robin Eaton and Jack Silverman. These partnerships opened up new avenues of sound, allowing Moutenot to break free from conventional structures. Reflecting on this evolution, he notes, “In all the years I’ve been writing, since the early days in my basement in ’74, I’ve been trying to write something that had intention yet felt effortless, Microcosm represents that to me.”

The album’s conception is a departure from Moutenot’s collaborative work, emerging from a period of introspection and creative solitude. The album’s genesis took shape within the confines of Moutenot’s Haptown studio, where an array of instruments and gear were at his fingertips. With the freedom to explore various sonic realms, Moutenot found his flow, piecing together tracks that began with drum patterns or chord structures, building layer upon layer.

The album’s tracks operate as individual movements within a larger musical narrative, fusing together the diverse influences that have shaped Moutenot’s remarkable career. Microcosm is a testament to his technical prowess and artistic vision, capturing the essence of his journey as a musician and producer. It signifies a new chapter, one that invites listeners to embark on an authentic sonic journey, as Moutenot delves into uncharted territories and welcomes them along for the ride.

Microcosm is set to release on Jan 25, 2024 (TODAY), and it promises to captivate both long-time fans and newcomers alike. For more information, visit rogermoutenot.com and follow Roger Moutenot on Instagram, @rogermoutenot.

If you’re the type of person to read the liner notes, you may have noticed that two names pop up very regularly on many yk Records releases; Patrick Damphier and John Baldwin, Jr. Both have provided a great deal of assistance in mastering our catalog and now that you’ve seen their names, you won’t stop seeing them.

Patrick is primarily a recording artist (we released his wonderful full-length Say I’m Pretty and a remix EP!) and studio wizard. The fact that we’re getting his ears for mastering is a real special treat.

John Baldwin, Jr is part of a collective of mastering engineers called Infrasonic Sound. This crew of audio experts has an immense wealth of knowledge that, quite frankly, goes beyond my comprehension. Fortunately, full comprehension is not required to enjoy listening in on a conversation.

This episode of Recording Studio Rockstars features John Baldwin, Jr and two of his fellow Infrasonic engineers; Pete Lyman & Brandon Towles.

It’s not a deep dive into the technical process of how to master but it is an engaging conversation between a group of seasoned audio professionals geeking out with one another.

It goes without saying that John Baldwin, Jr is an incredibly talented individual and a downright delight to spend time with. He’s both strongly opinionated and dependably flexible at the same time. Any of his work on the yk catalog of works is top tier but I gotta say he turned it up a notch or three with The Mahaffey Sessions 1999; a record that was never officially released and had been sitting on DAT tapes in a closet for twenty-four years. Impressive he preserved and presented it so perfectly.

Long story short, good podcast! Go listen.

The Nashville Scene has an annual “Stories to Watch” issue in which they cover.. well.. stories to watch for the year. For 2024, they turned their gaze on Streaming and the Music economy. Music editor Stephen Trageser interviewed me for my take on the topic, which you can see in the early January issue.

Here’s the most relevant excerpt:

Eades notes that, along with old-school tactics like getting fans on an email list, Bandcamp remains a significant part of YK’s approach. People know to come to Bandcamp to find music and the stuff that goes with it, so there is a built-in audience that a stand-alone web store can’t match. While those who purchase music downloads are in the minority, a band like rock veterans Tower Defense can see some income from printing up a cool T-shirt and bundling it with a download, as they did with their recent EP Never Mind the Menagerie. If Bandcamp does disappear, Eades is keeping an eye on up-and-coming alternatives including Nina, Sone and Ampwall. 

“I don’t know that I have a magic answer,” says Eades. “Our sort of North Star for everything is, ‘Just enjoy the work.’ Enjoy writing songs, recording songs, making videos, things that are sort of the creative part of it. Like, really let yourself enjoy that, and let that roll into the promotional part of it, because [that] can be such a slog.”

The last bit may sound a little eye-roll-y but I stand by the idea that focusing on getting paid, focusing on follower counts or streams is only going to end in disappointment. Focusing on the enjoyment of the songwriting and unleashing it into the world is the real joy. Sure, everyone wants giant spikes in listenership but those numbers don’t make a release good nor bad. It’s healthy to remember that.

It’s completely incomprehensible to me that 2023 was, in fact, a single year. So many events occurred in the last ~365 days that it feels like a much much longer timeline. Personally speaking, I narrowly avoided the tech downsizing, treaded water on the other side of that and eventually got a new job. Yes, dear reader, yk Records is not my full time career! Surprise! Despite those changes, the label had a great year and there’s a ton of fantastic music to share. I personally guarantee you’re in for a treat.

I’m going to run through each of the artists and releases that found their way into the world in 2023 in their own posts (brevity is the soul of wit but I do love to gab).

While I have you here, please check out this 2023 Sampler Playlist, dive into the full list of releases or just click on an album cover below that tickles your fancy.

There’s a thirteenth release (The Features, Some Kind of Salvation) that should be included in that list but it’s release is spanning 2023 and 2024, so I’m vaguely counting it across both years. It’s the little details.

2023 saw the launch of General Trust, a new release cadence for Tower Defense, fantastic new EP’s from New Man, No Stress and The Medium and some truly great albums from The Features, Talking With Hands, sugar sk*-*lls and Telefone. We struck a nice balance between physical and digital releases; a theme that will continue into next year.

Speaking of 2024, there are a number of great surprises on the docket already. While I can’t spill the beans on everything quite yet, I can say that there will definitely be new music from The Robe, General Trust, Tower Defense and Talking With Hands. That’s nowhere close to the full list but hopefully enough to keep you checking back for more.

The Mahaffey Sessions 1999

A little history; I’ve been a fan of The Features since I saw them in high school, way back in 1996, 1997. I specifically recall they played the original incarnation of RocketTown in Franklin, TN – a Christian venue owned by Michael W. Smith that later relocated to downtown Nashville. I don’t think the venue vibe was for me but as a youth, it was eye-opening to see a local band that had such an impact.

When I went to college, I somehow ended up working at a small indie label in Murfreesboro, TN called Spongebath Records. The label’s roster consisted of a bunch of great local bands including Self, Fluid Ounces, The Katies and… The Features. In hindsight, The Features never really got much of a chance to prove themselves as they only released an EP and a 10″. However, since I worked at the label I also knew that they had recorded a full-length record* as mixes made their way around the office.

I kept those recordings with me. From CD to MP3, Winamp to iTunes to streaming; they’ve always been close by.

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Cut to 2022 and I have been steadily running yk Records since 2009. I’ve got ninety plus releases out in the world and the 100th release is on the horizon. As anyone would, I wanted to make it into somewhat of an event. Something extra special.

So, I wrote up a Hail Mary of an email to Matt Pelham asking if he’d be interested in releasing the recordings from twenty-four years prior. The Features went dormant around 2017, so I really wasn’t sure what level of interest (if any) they would have on revisiting such old material.

By some miracle beyond my comprehension, Matt wrote me back and was more than happy to mine the archives of the band for some new releases. I got to work right away and started gathering the proper materials.

Matt Mahaffey dug up the original recordings and entrusted me with them. It sounds over the top but it was a rush to walk into his home studio and receive these DATs because I’d revered the album for so long. I got them over to John Baldwin at Infrasonic Sound; a longtime friend of the label, an actual friend of myself, a huge fan of The Features himself and the absolute right person for the job. If you look at the inner matrix etching on the vinyl, you’ll see his handwriting etched in there as he mastered the record and cut the lacquers.

I reached out to Sam Smith to see if he’d work up some artwork for the release. He was game and requested we fetch photos of the bands equipment from that era so he could whip up a bit of a Xerox tribute to the 1999 era. I also talked to Kneill Dietz, whom I consider the foremost Spongebath Records historian, and he delivered a load of live photos on contact sheets from the era. Together, Sam whipped up a killer LP package.

By incredible happenstance, a new vinyl pressing plant opened in Smyrna, TN right around the time that I was looking for a manufacturer; Physical Music Products. If you aren’t familiar with the geography of Middle Tennessee you are forgiven but know that Smyrna is about 10 minutes outside of Murfreesboro; where the band had recorded the album. It was meant to be.

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The response to the release of the album has been fantastic. The Scene & The Tennessean both covered it. Lightning 100 carved out a special premiere broadcast of the album. Grimey’s had a listening party; for a 24-year old lost album! It even won a Best Of Nashville award.

To promote the record, I sat down with Matt Pelham, Roger Dabbs and Rollum Haas to discuss the album track by track. It’s an entertaining and enlightening interview if you are, like myself, curious what happened back in 1999.

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The press coverage was nice but, most importantly, fans of the band were extremely pleased to have proper, non-bootleg, recordings of an album that really should have gotten more of a chance back in 1999. Unsurprisingly, these songs have remained in heavy rotation for the duration (and likely for the foreseeable future).

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Some Kind of Salvation (2023 Remaster)

The success of The Mahaffey Sessions 1999 was an excellent kick in the pants to keep exploring the archives of The Features recorded material. It just so happens that 2023 is also the 15-year anniversary of the band’s second full-length album, Some Kind of Salvation. With that in mind, we set forth to see if we could make something special of it.

Brian Carter, one of the producers & engineers on the original album, unearthed 3 new b-sides from the sessions that had not ever been previously released. He mixed these new tracks and, again, we entrusted John Baldwin at Infrasonic Sound to master the album. In order to fit the new bonus tracks all together on one side of the double LP, the side breaks of the album had to be altered. I’m biased but I think it flows even better now.

Tom Burns was responsible for the original album artwork and was kind enough to deliver a massive Google Drive of raw materials, artwork, photos, videos and layouts for the project. His original artwork files were used in the creation of the new gatefold jacket 2xLP.

Once again we connected with Physical Music Products (PMP) in Smyrna, TN to manufacture the artwork and vinyl. At this time, the job is in the queue and should be ready to mail out in early 2024.

That is to say, the promotion cycle isn’t over yet for Some Kind of Salvation! There will need to be a follow-up post here to capture everything that comes from the release.

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All told, I’m absolutely flabbergasted that The Features were open to working with yk Records. I’m proud of it and, moreso, I’m excited for what we’re going to do in the future. We have some great plans for 2024 and I can’t wait to see them come together.

*for the sake of accuracy, The Features actually recorded two full-length albums while at Spongebath; neither of which were released. The first was with Richard Dortch and pre-dates Rollum as a band member. It’s a very different sounding band. The second is what would become The Mahaffey Sessions 1999.

General Trust is the pseudonym of Jay Leo Phillips; a musician best known to me for his work as the vocalist and guitarist for the post-punk band Apollo Up! However, he also had a stint in Forget Cassettes, as well as And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead. He’s performed as CHARGES, he’s drummed for The Prudish Few, he’s released solo material under his own name and he’s an excellent follow on Bluesky.

All that is to say, when JLP had a new project that he wanted to release via YK, I was all ears. General Trust is an intentional undertaking of independence. Being able to write and record at his home studio Haus des Handschuhs II has been advantageous to say the least but playing live has always been hampered by impracticalities. One goal of the project was to embrace self-sufficiency; eschewing any outside dependencies.

Additionally, and far more importantly, it’s a new aural direction that embraces sequencing, heavy synth and gloomy vibes.. while somehow still integrating his guitar work from previous bands. Unsurprisingly, it’s a unique concoction of his experiences being applied to a genre that embraces a dash of drama and a flair for leaning in. To say the least, it works.

All told, the new endeavor released seven songs in 2023; each providing a unique take and direction. You can get them all on Bandcamp or streaming – or just enjoy the embed above.

2024 holds much promise for General Trust. More songs will assuredly be released. New videos are in the works and live shows in abundance will take place. Follow @general_trust on Instagram, keep an eye out on Twitch and keep your ears peeled for more tracks; there will be plenty more.

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